The Instructions of Literacy Observation & Reflection:
Follow these steps below and site two sources from the readings that is on the bottom. I have also a sample on the bottom, look at it but do not paraphrase it. I also want you to upload me a similarity report.
The purpose of this assignment is to:
- provide practice in observing and gathering data related to literacy practices
- demonstrate understanding of reading as a process, second language acquisition, and assessment practices in literacy
You will observe a literacy-based lesson in your EFE, take notes, focus on a student who is either an English learner or struggles with reading, look at work samples (if possible), and write a reflection of 1-2 pages, not more than two pages (12 point font, double spaced).
The first paragraph of the reflection should describe the lesson and the student (e.g., topic, literacy focus, student background). Please use a pseudonym to preserve confidentiality.
Then, write a paragraph describing the literacy practices and instructional strategies you observed in the lesson. Use the terms we learned in class and cite from the readings.Next, describe the student’s likes and dislikes around literacy, particular strengths, and any struggles. Describe how well the student comprehends text (fiction and/or nonfiction) and performs on assessments. Describe a strategy the teacher already uses or suggest a strategy that would help this student progress in developing literacy skills.
Data Gathering
- Observing a focal student
- Examining student work
- Talking to the teacher
- Talking to students
- Talking to other adults
- Other (please describe):
Literacy Considerations
- Second language acquisition stages
- Phonemic awareness and/or decoding
- Reading comprehension
- Spelling and vocabulary development
- Oral fluency
- Performance on assessments
Topic Readings in Literacy, Theory, and Second Language Acquisition
Please use these suggested readings for the source citations in your Literacy Observation & Reflection paper. To meet standards for this paper you must cite two sources.
Cognitive and Social Constructivism: Developing Tools for an Effective Classroom (Powell & Kalina, 2009)
First Language vs. Second Language Acquisition (Hummel, 2013)
Balanced, Differentiated Teaching: Explicit Instruction, Scaffolded Support, and Active Student Responding (Peterson, 2009)
Research (Read Charlotte, 2018)
The Simple View of Reading (Davidson, Farrell, Hunter, & Osenga, 2010)
Encyclopedia Articles on Specific Topics
Note: See highlighted author names and dates to cite.
- Overview: Literacy/ Learning to Read
- Literacy/Learning to Read: Common Problems
- Spelling
- Reading: Comprehension
- Vocabulary & Questioning
- Assessment: Overview
- Assessment: Running Records
- Assessment: Gray Oral Reading Test
- Assessment: Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests
Here is the SAMPLE of the assignment:
Literacy Observation and Reflection
For vocabulary practice, Mrs. Place’s fourth graders did a read-around activity in which they continued learning their “post-” words. During the activity, ten students at a time were randomly given a slip of paper on which a “post-” word and a definition was written. The first student read, “I have the first word ‘postpone’,” which was followed by a definition that read, “Who has the word that describes something that is occurring or done after death?” The student who had the word that corresponded to the definition answered, “I have the word ‘postmortem’,” and then he proceeded to the next definition. This process was repeated until the last student read their slip that said, “Who has the first word?” Throughout the lesson, I collected data for literacy by observing my focal student, “Ariel,” by talking to Mrs. Place about Ariel’s background, and by examining Ariel’s previous work in vocabulary.
Ariel is a Mexican-American student who is an English learner. According to the teacher, Ariel moved to the United States last year, speaks fluent Spanish, and speaks English at a BICS (basic interpersonal communication skills) level (Cummins, 1979). During the activity, Ariel had the word “postscript.” When another student defined her word, she remained quiet to avoid embarrassment, and she waited until the teacher asked the class, “Who has the word ‘postscript’?” Ariel’s low performance on previous vocabulary assessments also suggest that she struggles in vocabulary development. The “word detective” method of vocabulary development was used in the lesson, specifically through analysis of words and word parts (Öney et al., 2002). For instance, the word “postmortem” was defined as something “occurring or done AFTER death.” The word “after” is written in bold, capitalized letters to emphasize the definition of the prefix “post-,” and the word “death” is italicized to define the word part “mortem.” Thus, from this visual, the students can describe “postmortem” as a term that pertains to something “after death.” According to Mrs. Place, Ariel is relatively strong in assessments and activities, such as the read-around, that simply involve matching words with definitions. However, she needs more practice in defining words based on their surrounding text, which contributes to her lacking passion for reading. According to Mrs. Place, Ariel struggles in reading comprehension both in fiction and non-fiction, particularly with texts and questions that involve new, undefined vocabulary.
The vocabulary lesson was done in a form of a read-around “game” as an attempt to reduce the affective filter for learning, especially for English language learners like Ariel (Krashen, 1983). However, the activity was heavily based on individual performance, which can keep the affective filter high and essentially increase levels of intimidation among students like Ariel. To lower the affective filter in the vocabulary lesson, the game should be done in partners to promote more collaboration. After the game, partners should construct sentences that use the vocabulary words to practice applying words in writing and context. Partners can also be given a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that lists sentences with missing vocabulary words to practice learning vocabulary based on its surrounding text. These additional lessons can provide more ways to learn new words, which can further improve vocabulary development especially for English learners like Ariel.
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